Gov. Tom Corbett announced that the federal government accepted his Healthy Pennsylvania plan, which he introduced last year as an alternative to expanding Medicaid in Pennsylvania.

Corbett, in a press release, said the plan, which he proposed to the federal government in February, will "reform a financially unsustainable Medicaid program and increase access to health care for eligible individuals through the private market."

In a recent press release on his campaign website, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf agreed the measure will provide Pennsylvanians with "added health and economic security."

But, Wolf said, "Tom Corbett should have expanded Medicaid on day one instead of wasting two years. Tom Corbett's repeated mismanagement is complete unacceptable, and it underscores the importance of giving Pennsylvania a fresh start."

The press release from Corbett indicated that commercial insurance carriers will provide health care for those who apply and qualify. As of Thursday, nine companies applied as providers for the program. There will be a minimum of two insurer options for people in each region of the state.

According to the press release, enrollment is expected to start by Dec. 1.

In 2015, people who qualify for the program will pay the same Medicaid co-payments they pay now. In 2016, that amount will change.

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For those with an income of more than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, the premium will be 2 percent of their monthly income.

For a single person who makes $16,000 a year, the premium would be less than $3 per month.

Jenny Englerth, CEO of Family First Health, said that amount may seem affordable.

But, for someone who has been uninsured their entire life, and whose parents and grandparents have been uninsured their entire lives, affordability isn't the only consideration.

The population of people who will qualify for Healthy Pennsylvania are sometimes people who don't have checking accounts and instead use money orders, Englerth said.

If you needed a money order for $3 to pay the health insurance premium, and the fee for the money order was $5, and you're now paying $8, getting insured might not seem worth it if your monthly income is less than $4,000.

Under Healthy Pennsylvania, someone who doesn't pay their premium for 90 days will be disenrolled, according to the press release from Corbett.

"It's one thing to get insured," Englerth said. "But you have to stay insured."

The Healthy Pennsylvania plan "is certainly helping to fill that gap" of uninsured people, since Corbett denied expanding Medicaid last year, Englerth said. "My concern is there will be a new gap with people who will struggle with the bureaucracy."

Englerth said there are about 600,000 people in Pennsylvania who could benefit from the Healthy Pennsylvania plan. But educating them and getting them to enroll is going to be key.

"Who understands their health insurance coverage from top to bottom? I don't," Englerth said. "I don't know anybody who does."

For people who have to get educated about Healthy Pennsylvania so they can enroll and benefit from their insurance, "this is a huge learning curve," Englerth said. "It really puts an increase pressure on those of us who want people to be insured."

Tracking the history of the Healthy Pennsylvania plan

Feb. 5, 2013: Gov. Tom Corbett proposes 2013-14 state budget. In a speech unveiling his budget he announced that he would not be expanding Medicaid as a part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Sep. 10, 2013: Gov. Tom Corbett says he will consider expansion of Medicaid similar to the Affordable Care Act as long as there was an overhaul to the program to
save money. A spokesman for the governor said that the a resolution must "marry" the issues of "ensuring access to quality and affordable health-care options while also looking at the fiscal reality," according to a Philadelphia Inquirer article.

Sep. 16, 2013: Gov. Corbett submits his proposal to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for accepting federal Medicaid expansion dollars, making him the 10th Republican governor to do so. This begins the negotiation process and announces the "Healthy Pennsylvania" alternative Medicaid expansion plan.

Oct. 16, 2013: Gov. Corbett signs House Bill 108, which reauthorizes Pennsylvania's Children Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, but includes a plan to eliminate the six-month waiting period for the program. This is the first bill in implementing the Healthy Pennsylvania initiative.

Oct. 23, 2013: Gov. Corbett signs the second part of the Healthy Pennsylvania initiative. This piece of legislation, Senate Bill 379, creates the "Apology Rule," which protects healthcare providers from having "compassionate gestures" toward plaintiffs be used against them in medical malpractice suits.